Teens Read and Write

Summer Movie Extravaganza!

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Behold more great films to fill your summer with joy and excitement! The Amazing Spider-Man featuring Golden Globe Nominee Andrew Garfield and The Bourne Legacy starring Academy Award Nominee Jeremy Renner!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Shellee Roberts/Ivy Adams + Giveaway!

2012-02-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

Today we're excited to have Shellee Roberts, who writes with Emily McKay and Tracy Deebs under the psuedonym Ivy Adams. She's answering some hard hitting questions about kissing, Texas, and TV!

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1) You're involved in an adultversion of the International Kissing Club (lucky girl!), who are your top 5international well-known guys/celebrities that you plan to smooch?

Brad Pitt (he’s American, but he’salways on my list), Colin Farrel (Irish), Alex Pettyfer (English), GuillameCanet (French), Ryan Gosling (Canadian)

2) We have come to (virtually) visityou in the awesomest city in the world, Austin, Texas. Take us on apersonal Shellee Roberts tour of the best places to visit, food to eat, andthings to do!

If youhave never been to Austin, you are missing out! This is not like the rest ofTexas, y’all. First, come in April or October when the weather is absolutelyperfect—unless you love live music, then you have to come in March for SXSW(South By, as we locals call it) or September for ACL (Austin City Limits). AndI hope you like Tex-Mex and BBQ, cause you’re going to eat it a lot, and loveit!

We’llstart with the Don Juan Taco for breakfast on the patio at Juan in a Millionbefore we have to go line up for BBQ at Franklins for lunch, cause it sells outquick. Afterwards, we’ll work off those calories with a brisk run around thehike-n-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake followed by a jolting dip in Barton Springspool’s constant 62 degree water. Late afternoon will call for a round ofmicheladas in the beautiful outdoor courtyard of the Hotel San Jose on SouthCongress (SoCo, for you urban hipsters), then we’ll make for chips and salsaand fajitas at Chuy’s. We’ll make it to the Oasis on Lake Travis just in timefor watching the sun set into the water and then end the day with some music,of course. Either rock out at Stubbs, two-stepping at the Broken Spoke, or someblues at Antone’s. This would be aperfect Austin day.

3) What are the easiest and hardestthings about writing a novel with a group of authors?

Theeasiest thing is the collaboration. Writing is usually so solitary, and it’s upto you to carry the entire book, come up with all the ideas, and you can’tcover up your weaknesses as a writer. But when you’re writing with othersthere’s always someone with a great new twist you hadn’t thought of, someonewho helps maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses and, mostimportantly, someone to kick your butt when you don’t feel like writing.

Thehardest part is actually getting any work done when we’re together because allwe want to do is gossip and eat and talk about anything but the book we’resupposed to be writing.

4) Who's your favorite kissingcouple in the book?

I cannotlie, I just love Lucas and Cassidy. About Lucas, when I wrote him I put everythingI would have loved about a guy when I was seventeen into him—he’s funny andflirty and affectionate, and he just really loves Cassidy.

Cassidy iseverything I wish I’d been at seventeen: strong, athletic, independent, notafraid to stand up for herself. And tall—I really wish I was tall. There’s alot about life that scares, Cassidy, not the least of which is her feelings forLucas, but I like to think that these two would make it work somehow.

5)You have just won the chance to be on your favorite TV show for one episode.You get to create your own character and what part they play. Which show is it,who's the character, and what happens?

This is the most awesome question! So, I thought about this probably alittle too much, but it was more fun than working on my real writing.

Okay, it’s Friday Night Lights (Season 1) and I’m the new girl in town,Shelby, who’s got a bit of a rebel streak not to mention a kicking leg thatwould make Phil Dawson envious. (Also, I’m about twenty years younger…andtall.) Any way, I walk onto the Panthers team and dazzle them with my consistent50+ yard kicking range and Coach Taylor makes me the first female team memberof the Dillon Panthers. This causes all kinds of uproar among the footballpurists of Dillon. However, I do catch the eye of shy and sweet quarterback,Matt Saracen, whom I adore, but realize sadly that he and the coach’s daughter,Julie, are truly meant to be. Heartbroken, I fall into the tanned, toned arms of resident bad boy, TimRiggins, and obliterate from his memory any thoughts of prissy Lyla Garrity.Then having won Tim’s heart of gold, I prove myself to the whole town bywinning the state championship in a clutch situation at the timer. All of thishappens in the season finale, but when the next season starts I’m nevermentioned again.

Thank you so much for having me today!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Shellee Wants To Know...

If you could be on any TV show ever, which one would it be? Tell me in the comments below (and leave youremail so we can contact you) to be entered to win the Around the World In 80Kisses daily and weekly prize and also become eligible to win the Grand Prize,a Kindle Fire. For a list of all our Smooch Posts you can visit and earn moreentries to win, visit us here.

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Great choices for a kissing spree! Can't wait to spend our day in Austin. We're hungry! And we'd love to see that episode of of Friday Night Lights.

Can't wait to see what TV show you want to be on! We dream about being on Hawaii 5-0, Castle, White Collar, Vampire Diaries, Glee, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, The Mentalist, Person of Interest, Justified, Bones, Fringe, ...we could go on and on!

Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships-and their friendships-be able to survive?

GOODREADS / WEBSITE / FACEBOOK /

Avengers...ASSEMBLE!

2012-02-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Movie trailer of awesome.

You're welcome.

YA Book Review and Tour: UNTRACEABLE by S.R. Johannes

2012-02-06T02:17:00.000-08:00

UNTRACEABLE

by S.R. Johannes

pub: Nov 2011

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / Goodreads

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.
When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.
One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.
Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Okay, so there are no lions. Or tigers. But Untraceable does have bears. So how about:

Bears and villains and mystery and drama and romance and heartache and surprises and...

This wilderness survival mystery thriller has punch! Grace is spunky and tough, and tends to get herself into trouble even when she knows better. Typical teenager. But it all stems from her love of nature and her determination to find her father.

Nature, a huge part of Untraceable. Vivid description took me right into the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee - that's where the bears come in. Grace offers up survival advice and each chapter is even titled with survival skills.

But it's the story that's the big draw.

A fast-paced thriller, full of interesting characters, and a never ending supply of unexpected turns. As Grace's investigation pulls her deeper in to a much larger web of lies and corruption, the intensity rises and just when you (and Grace) think you have it all figured out, Bam! you get side-swiped with a new twist.

The romance stars Wyn, Grace's childhood friend and ex-boyfriend, and the new hottie in the woods, Mo. Wyn is sweet but has rebounded with the town mean girl, so that lost him points with me. Mo comes across as a terrific fellow, but harbors plenty of secrets.

Danger and suspense increase. Grace gets caught up with some nasty folk so be prepared for violence to escalate. And the emotional roller coaster ride becomes very intense, especially near the end.

The ending isn't quite a cliffhanger, but it does leave some questions that leave you ready to get answered in the next installment, Uncontrollable, due out this summer.

An absorbing suspense thriller with a wild(life) side, plenty of twists, a splash of romance, and a real treat for survival buffs!

Thanks to Mundie Moms for having us as part of the Untraceable Blog Tour. The full schedule and links are below!

The UNTRACEABLE Blog Tour

2/6- Teens Read & Write, review
2/7- Fire & Ice, character interview with Grace
2/8- I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, review
2/9- Reading Lark, character interview with Mo
2/10- Once Upon a Twilight, review
2/11- Mundie Moms, author interview
2/12- Eve's Fan Garden, guest post

Connect with S.R. Johannes

Website
Author newsletter
Twitter
GoodReads
Facebook
Marketing biz

2 Cello Hotties, Glee and Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal

2012-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Anybody see the latest Glee episode with the the 2 Cello hotties, Sulic and Hauser. I didn't know who they were but I wanted to find out MORE because they were smokin'!

They're Croatian cellists Luka Sulic (left, 24 years old) and Stjepan Hauser (25). They study at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. They're going on tour with Elton John!

The video that went viral.

The Glee version.

The Glee "Behind the Scenes" clip.

I could look at and listen to them all day. I'm a huge violin and cello fan. Guess who's music I just downloaded? I may be a little obsessed.

I can't choose between them so I'll have to take them both. But don't tell Melissa or Missie about these guys. Those greedy gals will try to steal them for their harems. Like they don't have enough man-candy!

Oh, and these boys were made fun of in high school for playing the cello. HA! Who's laughing now! Not me. I'm drooling.

The Hunger Games Latest Movie Trailer

2012-02-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest trailer. Still looks epic!

Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

2012-02-03T00:30:00.000-08:00

Entwined

by Heather Dixon

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Finally got to finish this! So happy! It lived up toeverything I hoped for before the library - with it's stupid rules about "deadlines for return" took it away from me.

Azalea was a wonderful character. She went from worryingabout balls and dresses to becoming all about courage, understanding and family.And you all know how I love family! While I was at first confused by all theother eleven sisters, by the end I knew each of them inside and out.

The love interests for Azalea and the girls were fabulously fleshed out. Some totally surprised me. Each had their quirks and personalities which meshed so nicely with a particular sister. And while they weren't Superheros, they certainly proved their metal as heroes in the end, bringing their individual strengths and bravery to battle to protect the ladies they loved.

And there was no instant love. Yay! Another reason I’m smitten with Entwined.

Keeper was fabulous! Why is it the clever,sexy ones are secretly evil?

The development of the father/king's relationship with his daughters was adorable. And the sisters' connection to each other warmed my heart. Very genuine.

I admit it started slow for me, but Azalea andher sisters were entertaining enough to keep me going.

Once Keeper showed thefirst hint of his true colors, things really picked up speed and I lockedmyself in my room until I finished.

Oh the twists and turns Azalea had to gothrough! So much fun!

An entertaining retelling of Grimm’s Twelve Dancing Princesses provides a fresh twist ona classic. Great humor. Loved the lively personality of the sugar tongs - a little bit Beauty and Beast movie-esque. All in all, it was a blast!

Do Book Bloggers Review Books? Guest Post & Giveaway

2012-01-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

Guest Posting today is the "E" in A&E Kirk. The fabulicious Eileen Kirk! We love her. Really and truly love and adore her. For our entire lives. She's like a mom to us. Oh, right. That's because she really is our mom!

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Well, isn't that lovely. Hmmm. They must want something.

Anyway, hello, good day, and nice to "see" you all!

Since Alyssa and I are now authors as well as bloggers I decided to talk about a recent phenomenon churning through the blogosphere and get your opinion.

Do book bloggers review books? The answer may seem an obvious "Yes," but lately their has been some question. Rachel at Parajunkee, a long time blogging friend, gave me the first heads up on this.

The short version is that bloggers wrote some less than stellar reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. An uproar ensued on the web between some authors, agents, and bloggers. At times it got ugly and personal. (Check the links below for more info.)

So where to start? And let's be clear, the following is my opinion.

Reviews
Book bloggers have a right to their opinion. Call it a review, critique, judgment, expression, or whatever you like. Does it differ from a professional review? Sure.

Does it make it any less valid? Not when it reflects a reader's honest opinion.

Should authors engage in a battle with those posting negative reviews? Absolutely not.

Bloggers are the consumers. Belittling their opinion/review has no value. An author can't please everyone. Book preferences are just too subjective.

If you're going to put your novel out to the public, put out the best product you can, then be ready for the public, all of the public (that reads and reviews an author's book, anyway), to have their say.

The web has opened up a tremendous way for masses of book lovers to share and connect. It also provides a fantastic tool for authors and publishers to market their books to those masses. But the bad has to be taken with the good. And if a book gets reviews, some will be negative.

On Goodreads, THE HUNGER GAMES has over 5000 two-star reviews, CATCHING FIRE has almost as many, and MOCKINGJAY has nearly 15,000 one- and two-star reviews. One of the biggest sellers ever, a major motion picture, and it's been bashed by thousands of readers.

Do you think Suzanne Collins is tracking those babies? Doubt it. And she certainly isn't responding to any of them. She's too busy writing and picking out a gown for the movie premiere.

Will some opinions hurt authors' feelings? No question. Authors put their heart and soul into their books. But attacking a review or reviewer is unprofessional and reflects poorly on the author. And authors can always take Elana Johnson's advice to not read any of their own reviews.

Should bloggers be "professional"? Yes. And by this I mean focus on content, explain your reasoning in a well thought out manner , and refrain from personal attacks. The bloggers I follow do this extremely well. And make their reviews incredibly entertaining!

Do all bloggers act this way? No. But there are no official rules. I see some reviews that are full of hate and go off on some crazy tangent that has nothing to do with the book. I don't spend time on these reviews. Bloggers are free to write the way they want, and readers can choose who suits their fancy to follow.

I see the book blogging community as a big book book club where I get to hear about books from a great bunch of fellow book-loving maniacs. We have various opinions, we agree, we disagree, but we should always be respectful of each other.

There's no need for throwing stones. And if you encounter someone who is, just grab a good book and head to the high ground. Need directions? That's easy.

Just take the High Road.

Now it's your turn.

What's your opinion on all the drama?
Did you even know about it?
Do book bloggers actually write reviews? And if not, what would you call them?
What do you think about negative reviews?
How should authors and agents respond, if at all?

I've read through a lot of information so let me provide a few links that are pertinent to this issue. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Rachel - Parajunkee: What is a Review? - Where I initially heard about all the hoopla
Amelia - Imagination In Focus: Review vs Reaction
The Guardian: YA Novel Readers Clash with Publishing Establishment
Elana Johnson (Author) - What I Think About Reviews
Maggie Stiefvater - The Only Thing I'm Going To Say About Bloggers in 2012
Kat - Cuddly Buggery: The First Five Days on Goodreads
Goodreads: Controversial Review #1
Amazon: Controversial Review #2 , on Goodreads
Goodreads: Another One-Star Review that caught some heat

Thanks to you all for letting me shoot the breeze today. It's been fun and I can't wait to see what you have to say!

And a huge thanks for all the love and support you have given my kids over the years! This community has been the kind of positive influence that a mother dreams of! I adore you all!

Eileen

Oh, and about that giveaway...

Every tour stop will be giving away something fun. Today, you can win some key items that relate to Aurora, the Hex Boys and their adventure in DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT.

A Celtic Cross Necklace, handcuffs keychain, and one colorful feather hair clip. The contest is International and ends Feb. 24. Just fill out the form below. The only requirement is your name and email. You can tweet for a extra point.

And the giving doesn't end there!

Want a chance at a Kindle Fire!

To enter you need to know the secret phrase given out one word at a time by each blog tour host. Put the words together in sequential order and you'll eventually have the secret phrase!
Starting March 9 (at the end of the tour) you can enter the complete phrase on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page and earn BIG entry points! Your Kindle Fire will also include your choice of a DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT Skin. Either from the cover, or a Hex Boy group shot or individual "Team" skin of your favorite Hex Hunk!

Today's Secret Word is:

THE

Exciting right?

For all the Hex Boys Individual AB-tacular shots, and a list of all the Tour Stops, go the Blog Tour Page.

But for this week it's:
Jan 30: Natalie @ Mindful Musings - Review
Jan 31: Teens Read and Write - Guest Post
Feb 1: Missie @ The Unread Reader - My Book Boyfriend
Feb 2: Lea @ YA Book Queen - Author Interview
Feb 3: Ariel @ Must Love Books- Review

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.
DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.
CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.
LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Loading...&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

In My Mailbox: 1/28/12

2012-01-29T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hosted by The Story Siren

Just me this week - Alyssa - since super soccer star Gregory is off at some soccer showcase event, and Jake in "under the weather" with a fever/cough/cold. What a baby!

There were slim pickings this week. I think our library is holding out on me. There's a whole conspiracy against me I'm sure of it!

The Hunger Games

Bought this for our Kindle Fire to read before the movie arrives.

Gotta admit, I'm actually loving e-books. I was skeptical.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Picked this up from the library.

I know I requested more, but this one was the only one waiting for me. Ah, the woes of living in the middle of nowhere.

The Black Butler Volume I and II

Gifted to me by an awesome friend who knows my embarrassingly deep love of this anime.

Untraceable

Got this baby because we're reviewing it for an upcoming tour with Mundie Moms. So excited to start reading it!

That was it. I'll take quality over quantity any day though.

Been a busy week because we've been getting ready for two big events. The biggest is...

It's Jake's birthday! Yep, today he's 19 years old. A fact I doubt when his best comeback is, "Well...your FACE!"
I've spent all month trying to find the perfect gift for him and thank goodness Ash over at Smash Attack Reads tweeted about a zombie infested obstacle course. That's right, ZOMBIE INFESTED.

Run For Your Lives 2011

It's a ways off, but I got tickets for Jake, some of his friends, me, and Gregory to go. It looks so awesome!

Our second major event?

Natalie over at Mindful Musings is kicking off the Demons at Deadnight blog tour where we're giving away a bunch of prizes everyday, and at the end of the tour, a Kindle Fire along with a couple other awesome things. You just have to stick around to find out.

Where else will you find people who give you free stuff AND tell you about zombie infested obstacle courses?

Hope all your Sunday is IMMazing!

YA Giveaway Hop: Demons At Deadnight by A&E Kirk

2012-01-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the YA Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not a Writer and Down the Rabbit Hole. What shall we giveaway?

DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT, of course!

It's by A & E Kirk (the "A" is Alyssa for those who don't know.)

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.
DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.
CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.
LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

The paperback is open to US or International entrants.

The eBook is open to International entrants.

Three ways to enter just fill out the form below!

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway Details:

Fill out the form below
Paperback and ebook for US and International entrants
Ebook for International entrants
Enter by Jan 31
Must be 13 or older

Check out THE LIST of all the participating blogs and their giveaways!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hot, Hunky Hex Boys Harem @ Books and Things!

2012-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just as we were setting up our Waiting on Wednesday post we spied some serious eye candy over with Melissa @ Books and Things. Little did we know that she was putting up a My Book Boyfriend post starring the entire Hex Boy team from Alyssa's book, DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT, by A&E Kirk!
The post is gorgeous! Here's a sneak peak at just one of the SIX Hex Boy Hotties!

Yeah, we just heard all you ladies sigh.

My Book Boyfriend is a drool-inducing, swoon-inciting meme by Missie @ The Unread Reader where every Wednesday clever bloggers bring the men of our literary dreams to life - at least in two-dimensional visuals that will make your knees weak!

The mega super-cool thing is that Missie is also going to be highlighting the Hex Boys on her Feb 1st My Book Boyfriend!

Missie and Melissa are always fighting over their handsome harems. (The greedy wenches!) And it's an absolute blast to have the Hex Boys in the middle! We're dying to hear what you think about Melissa's picks, and can't wait to compare them to Missie's.

REVIEWS ARE IN!
And check out these awesome ladies' squee-worthy reviews of DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT and even a couple of giveaways! We bow to their fabuliciousness!

Melissa @ Books and Things
Missie @ The Unread Reader
Lea @ YA Book Queen
Jen @ In the Closet With a Bibliophile

And a funny coincidence. Alyssa (with Jake's help) was up all night making "Team" buttons for all the Hex Boys. Now there are even more hot bodies to check out!
Oh, the heat is ON!

Waiting on Wednesday: 3 Hot Upcoming YA Releases!

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine and showcases upcoming releases we're dying to read!

THE IMMORTAL RULES

by Julie Kagawa

April 24

You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

Kagawa and Vamps - great combo!

THE SPHINX PROJECT

by Kate Hawkings

Feb 28

Not many people can say their entire existence has been one big lab experiment: poked and prodded by scientists, genetically modified to be the best and endure the worst, subjected to daily tests and trials that would kill a normal human. All Michaela wants is her own life, to be able to go to school, flirt with boys, maybe eat ice cream now and then. So when the chance to escape finally comes, Michaela and her sister grab it, taking their friends with them.

But they weren't the only ones to find their way out of those labs. Following close behind are another breed of creature, one that doesn't know the difference between right and wrong, who exist only to feed their own hunger. The appearance of a strange boy who seems too much like them to be a coincidence makes things even more confusing. But as the world begins to literally fall apart around them, Michaela must accept his help, especially when she could lose the very thing she holds dearest: her sister.

Sounds fun! A bit like Patterson's Maximum Ride series.

INSIGNIA

by S J Kincaid

July 2012

IT'S WORLD WAR III.
THE ENEMY IS WINNING.
WHAT IF THE GOVERNMENT'S SECRET WEAPON IS YOU?
More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

A futuristic guy-spy thriller!

What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday: 3 Hot Upcoming YA Releases (1/11/12)

2012-01-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine and showcases upcoming releases we're dying to read!

BITTERBLUE

by Kristin Cashore

May 1

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart

Loved GRACELING so very excited for this one!

CROAK

by Gina Damico

March 20

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.
He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.
Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.
Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

Who doesn't love a good-hearted reaper?

SLATED

by Teri Terry

May 3

Sixteen-year-old Kyla has been 'slated': all of her past memories erased, her entire personality wiped blank. She has been assigned a new name, a new date of birth and even new parents. The government that did this to her claim she was a terrorist, and that she has been given a second chance. But Kyla knows that the government has been lying. Without her memories, how will Kyla ever find the truth? And if her old self is really and truly dead, then what are the terrifying images that still haunt her dreams?

Maybe she'll go all Jason-Bourne on the bad guys!

(and is the author's name really Teri Terry?)

What are you waiting for?

In Our Mailbox Video - IMM 1/8/12

2012-01-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hosted by The Story Siren

We did a video this time.

You're welcome.

Warning!

Do not eat or drink while watching this video. Ensuing laughter may shoot milk from your nose. Because we're a-dork-able.

(And, no, we don't know what Gregory was doing with his hat.)

Goliath - from the library

Cinder - from Tara (Zeitghost Media)

Bad Taste in Boys - won from Carrie Harris

Hereafter - bought - 99 cents!

Entwined - bought - 99 cents!

Demons at Deadnight we wrote

And by "we" I mean Alyssa and Eileen. NOT Jake and Greg. They just played video games and told me to blow things up. Which I greatly appreciated, but...

HUGE thanks to:
Lea @ YA Book Queen for her DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT contest (which ends today, so hurry!) and her IMM post mentioning DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT and the swag package!

Melissa @ Books and Things for today's IMM post about her DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT swag package.

Felicia @ Geeky Blogger who mentions DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT in her IMM post because she bought the E-Book! Awesome!

You ladies rock! We love you and all of you who have shown us such generous support!

And our current contest are at:

Teens Read and Write

Alyssa and Eileen Kirk Author Website

Happy Sunday!

Alyssa's Book Release Day for DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT + Giveaway!

2012-01-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Fabulous news! Alyssa's book is out today!

Yep, all those years of Alyssa's ceaseless babbling about demon invasions -- enough babbling to drive anyone but her amazing brothers (who practically wrote the book for her, but she doesn't see it that way) crazy -- has finally paid off. DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT has it's birthday today!

Thanks to Lea at YA Book Queen for her awesome Book Birthday post, AND she is also doing a giveway! For three ebooks of DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT!

To celebrate, we Kirk boys are hosting a contest!

1st Place Gets an awesome swag box complete with the paperback (seriously, its awesome. All these years of blogging she knows what swag we really want!) We can't tell you what's in it because things are wrapped as gifts and we don't want to ruin the surprise, but Lea @ YA Book Queen got one this week and proclaimed it as one of the best swag packages she's ever received!

2nd Place Two lucky winners get their choice of Demons at Deadnight ebook or signed paperback (We can get it signed. We know the author.)

What do you have to do to enter? Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. It involves tweeting and Liking our Facebook pages so thanks for helping get the word out!

Other details: Nothing's mandatory. It's International so everyone can join, and it ends on Jan 15. Oh, and if you check out Mom and Alyssa's new website @aekirk.com you might find another contest. Just saying.

But of course, if you can't wait to read it -- And why deprive yourself of such a genius book? - Just go grab it now! It's currently available on Amazon in PAPERBACK or EBOOK and should be on Barnes and Noble (available in ebook only) sometime tomorrow. It's also on Goodreads. And tell Alyssa and our mom that our names should really be on there.

J&G Kirk. Much better ring, don't you think?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Social Hop for Twitter and Facebook!

2012-01-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

Rachel @ Parajunkee has a fun new social hop for Twitter and Facebook.

Welcome to the Twitter & Facebook Hop on Parajunkee’s View.We are linking up our Facebook Fan Pages & our Twitter accounts so we can earn more followers and likes. Social networks are an integral way to get more exposure for your blog, so click away!

We haven't used our Facebook Page much before but we're changing that this year. So
CLICK HERE FOR OUR FACEBOOK
and
HERE FOR TWITTER

Check out The Hop if you want to participate!

Small Review's Tips and Tricks Challenge

2012-01-05T02:00:00.000-08:00

We are blatantly copying Small Review's post about her amazing Tips and Tricks Challenge. Small Review is one of the most generous bloggers with how she provides excellent step-by- step instructions on how-to's that will make your blog shine!
It's that kind of thing where you want to know how seemingly every other blogger in the universe knows how to do it, and you don't want to look like an idiot by asking how it's done. So here's the scoop!

Welcome to the first Tips & Tricks post of this year's Busting the Newbie Blues!Click to learn more about Busting the Newbie Blues!
Part of being a newbie is having a TON of questions (and, honestly, oldies have a lot of the same questions). I've answered a bunch of these questions last year through my Tips & Tricks series and I've compiled most of them here for you to browse through.
And, because January is all about signing up for challenges, I'm turning this into a mini challenge!
Don't worry, there aren't any big rules or requirements (I'm all about fudging challenge rules anyway). There aren't any levels or prizes. It's all very low key.
All you have to do is:1) Pick one thing (or more!) from the list below and DO IT
2) Come back to this post and leave a comment telling us what you did
3) Leave a link to your post/blog so we can all check out your results and give you lots and lots of praise!
Not sure how to leave a clickable link? Check out my Tips & Tricks post about anchor text.
What do you do?
Any of the following Tips & Tricks qualify, plus any future Tips & Tricks posted throughout this event. YOU CAN DO IT!
The List:
Blog Design
Basics
How to Make a Full-Screen Blog Header How to Make a Sidebar Header How to Fix Overhanging Sidebar Images
Icons and Buttons
How to Make a Button How to Make a Scrolling Widget for Blog Buttons How to Make Social Networking Icons (Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc)How to Make an "Email Me" Link and Icon
Personalize
How to Add a Signature to Posts How to Customize a Comment Form Message
More HTML (made super simple)
How to Make Colored Boxes How to Make Borders How to Make a Progress Bar (for challenges)How to Customize a Progress Bar

Attract Followers
Blog Promotion
How to Increase SEO with Post TitlesHow to Increase Blog Readership with Search Engines 4 Ways to Gain Readers Using Comments
Suck Readers in for Hours!
How to Make Anchor Text How to Make Named Attribution Jumps How to Maximize Links, part 1 How to Maximize Links, part 2 How to Use Labels (Tags) to Increase Blog Traffic
Now go ahead and pick one! Make sure to come back here and share your success with us!

Can you believe it? Small Review listed all her tip posts...with links!
If you don't take part in this challenge, you are nuts! Call the guys with the straight jackets and jump in their padded van. There has to be at least ONE How-To that you've been dying to know about. Us? We can't decide which one to try first! Seriously guys, take advantage of this outpouring of knowledge and generosity. We can't wait to see all you do!

10 Great Books for $10!

2012-01-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

If you've got an eReader you're in luck. These ten books are on sale for
99 cents each!

We took a snapshot so you can't shop from any of the links in the picture, but go to the Epic Reads Facebook page and they'll get you there!

We just bought Hereafter and also Entwined (which Alyssa wasn't able to finish before we had to get it back to the library). We'll probably get The Poison Diaries since we've heard it's very good. And if you haven't read UNEARTHLY, you should. Check out our UNEARTHLY review!
What might you be buying?

Happy Shopping!

Waiting On Wednesday: 5 Upcoming Hot YA Releases

2012-01-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine to showcase awesome upcoming releases!

THE HUNT

Andrew Fukuda

May 2012

Seventeen-year-old Gene struggles to survive in a society where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the remaining humans, he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing.

Sounds interesting. Just not sure what creatures the society is made up of since they aren't humans. Hmmmm.

MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Bethany Griffin

April 2012

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Other than the immediate set-up of a love triangle (which have become a bit annoying) it looks like an exciting dystopian! And pretty cover!

THE TEMPTATION

Alisa Valdes

April 2012

His touch was electric.
His eyes were magnetic.
His lips were a temptation....
But was he real?
After crashing her car on an empty highway, Shane is miraculously saved by Travis, a mysterious cowboy who walks out of nowhere. She is instantly attracted to him, and for the first time, she believes in “soul mates.” But Shane soon discovers that Travis is dead and that strict rules from the Underworld govern kindred spirits of different dimensions. Breaking these rules could destroy both their souls. And while Travis is almost impossible to resist, temptation proves to be the kindest enemy they encounter.
Can true love surpass the power of pure evil?

Immediately attracted to a dead guy? Shane needs to get out more often. But it still sounds fun and we'll have to read this to see how it all works out!

DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN

JA London

May 2012

The war is over. And the vampires won.
Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

A world run by vamps - nice twist! That cover is lovely. And is it just us or does it look similar to the FALLEN series. Like a combo of FALLEN and TORMENT.

MONUMENT 14

Emmy Laybourne

June 2012

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart

Stuck in Costco? Sounds like heaven!

What are you waiting for?

It's Small Reviews BUSTING THE NEWBIE BLUES

2012-01-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

Small Review is hosting the 2nd Busting the Newbie Blues

This event is designed to:

Put new YA book bloggers on the map
Increase blogger interaction
Start a discussion by sharing our experiences as new bloggers
Learn about what it was like for established bloggers when they were newbies

So how does this work? Simple:

Be a YA book blogger (oldie or newbie)
Select the questionnaire that best applies to you (there's no "wrong" choice, so just pick whichever one you feel most comfortable answering)
Create a post on your blog with the questions and your answers
Grab the button below to include in your post or sidebar
Link back to my post here so more people can join in
Sign the linky list below so we can all come and visit your blog!
Spread the word!

Established Bloggers:

Pick this questionnaire if you've been blogging for a while, have a decent sized group of followers and people commenting on your posts, and get a decent amount of traffic. Basically, you have some experience blogging and you've seen positive results for your efforts. You can define "decent" however you'd like.

1) When did you start your blog?

We started in the summer of 2009. Mom wanted us to have a summer project and she won't let us quit! Just kidding. She did have us start but we're happy and going strong.

2) Do you ever still feel like a newbie?

All the time because we see so many fantastic bloggers doing such amazing things. There is always more to learn.

3) What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

Mostly just being organized and finding time to do everything we want to do.

Did you make any mistakes new bloggers can learn from?

We were very intense over everything and felt like we had to post every day. But it's much better to post something that's interesting and relevant rather than just getting something up. People - especially book bloggers - can spot crappy content a mile away.

4) What did you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?

Wondering when, oh when, people would start to comment and interact with us!

How did you deal with this?

It's the simplest thing in the world. You just start interacting with other bloggers, commenting yourself, and suddenly there they are. Okay not suddenly. It takes time but reaching out to others is a whole lot of fun and what will bring others to visit you. But you have to be genuine. If you just leave something like "Love your blog. Come visit mine!" it won't work. Be thoughtful, interested, and engage in a personal way.

5) What do you find most encouraging?

The love and generosity of other book bloggers. They would answer any question we had or send us in the right direction. Everyone was awesome!

6) If you could go back in time and speak with your newbie self, what five bits of wisdom would you tell yourself?

Relax, calm down, be patient and put out quality over quantity. And don't be afraid to reach out to anyone, even if they're "big." It can be intimidating but 99.9999% of the time you'll meet a fantastic, down to earth person who'd love to help you out!

7) What do you like best about the blogs you read?

Humor. When posts are funny, make us laugh out loud, and full of energy, we're in love!

Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?

Of course, but we never think we're as funny as our favorite humorous bloggers. Although Jake's pretty funny. Weird, wacky and original. Also annoying. Very annoying.

8) What do you dislike about blogs you’ve seen?

We steer clear of blogs with lots of whining and complaining. Anyone can have a rant now and then but when it's a regular thing, we say good-bye. And anything negative about authors or bloggers, especially on a personal level.

Do you try to avoid this?

Absolutely. We see no use for that sort of thing. Our dad always said, "You're here to help push people up the ladder of life, not drag them down." We focus on being positive. And wish we were funnier.

9) How did you bring your blog to the attention of so many people?

Mostly commenting and communicating with other bloggers. Contests are always a good way to get buzz but they can be expensive and not everyone can afford to do that. Then there's Goodreads and Twitter. Social media is a great tool. Getting out and connecting with others works every time! And honestly (this was something we've learned) it's more important to have the fewer number of loyal people that keep coming back day after day, rather than the big numbers of people that may sign up to follow but you never hear from again. It's the regular interaction with your favorite folks that make all this work worthwhile!

10) When and how did you get your first ARC (or first few ARCs)?

When we started blogging we had no idea what ARCs were or that they even existed. We happened to comment on a blog that was run by a bookstore owner. She had a bunch of books that she offered to send us because she couldn't get to read and review them. In that batch were ARCs and we were amazed. We had a book that the public didn't have access to yet? Wow. We felt like super spies!

Happy New Years!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! We made it to 2012! What are your New Years resolutions?

Best Holiday-Break Movie Picks

2011-12-29T11:08:00.000-08:00

With only a few days left on the holiday break (and if you decide to take a pause from catching up on your reading) we thought we'd give you a list of the movies you don't want to miss before school and/or work rear their ugly heads!

BEST OVERALL AWESOME

(it's a tie!)

WARHORSE packs an emotional punch. We laughed, cried (tears of joy and sorrow), sighed, held our breath, cringed, had to close our eyes, cheered - you name it. Bring plenty of tissue and be prepared to be emotionally drained by the end. FYI: we think it's way too intense for younger children. We could barely handle it!

SHERLOCK HOLMES, GAME OF SHADOWS took everything we loved about the first movie and added more! More action, more drama, more humor, more Holmes/Watson interaction, more great characters (Sherlock has a brother - the magnificent Stephen Fry), and an awesome ending!

BEST ACTION

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL wasn't even on our "must see" list so we were surprised at how much we enjoyed it. Thrills, super stunts, humor, excitement, drama. Action junkies can't go wrong!

BEST THRILLER

Not for the faint of heart, but if you love suspense thrillers (and the book) GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is a terrific edge-of-your-seat ride. Just don't expect Daniel Craig to be James Bond-esque. It's Lisbeth (Rooney Mara) that wears the kick-butt pants in this duo.

BEST FAMILY

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN captivates the whole clan!

MOST UNIQUE

HUGO was not quite what we were expecting but definitely interesting, unique and has a great message. But be prepared, Jude Law is barely in it at all, despite what you might think from the marketing campaign.

What movies have you enjoyed over the holiday season?

Blog Tour and Contest: Kathryn Miller Haines: THE GIRL IS MURDER

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

We're lucky to have the author of THE GIRL IS MURDER, Kathryn Miller Haines, joining us today to share a Blast Into Her Past with her favorite books from age 5, 11, 15 and 20.
*************************

At age five I was all about Dr. Seuss. The first book I learned to read, frankly because I memorized it after forcing my mom to read it to me so many times, was Green Eggs and Ham. Seuss’s whimsical drawings and catchy rhymes just hit a sweet spot in my little brain. Boy was I amazed to find out later on that he was a political cartoonist during World War II.

When I was eleven, I had two things I loved: books about dancers and mysteries. I read Just Like Jenny by Sandy Asher a thousand times (two best friends into ballet, one is better than the other) and bought every book Lois Duncan had out at the time. Probably my favorite book from this period, though, doesn’t fit into either category: it was Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia. To this day that book makes me cry.

When I was fifteen, I started becoming obsessed with the lurid. I still liked mysteries, but I wanted more adult reads like V.C. Andrews’ smut-filled family sagas. Ditto Sidney Sheldon, and Stephen King. My older sister was into these as well, so my copies came from her. They were fat mass market paperbacks that smelled like her coconut scented sun-tan lotion. My favorite book from back then was probably Stephen King’s It. It was just such a huge, ambitious book and the notion of a monster that tapped into everyone’s worst fears and made them reality was terrifying to me.

By the time I was twenty my taste in books had greatly improved. Since I was an English in major in college I was reading a lot of historic lit (I was in an 18th century novel survey class that demanded I read a 400 page novel a week). I didn’t do a lot of reading for fun – everything seemed to be for school then. But my eyes were opened to a lot of fiction I’d never been exposed to.

In addition to the top sellers for 1787, I took a Jewish lit class and read my first graphic novel (Maus) and discovered wonderful writers like Philip Roth, Bernard Malamud, and Franz Kafka. I think the big important book for me though was Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Billed as the first non-fiction novel, I read the true crime book for “fun” that summer and was absolutely blown away. I think that’s when I really knew I wanted to be a crime writer.

**************************

Great picks! And we still adore Dr. Seuss. You can read our review of THE GIRL IS MURDER and sign up below to win a copy! Thanks to Teen Book Scene Scene for hosting The Girl Is Murder Blog Tour.

THE GIRL IS MURDER

by Kathryn Miller Haines

July 2011

Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel for fans of Veronica Mars. It's the Fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her school. Now, instead of sitting at home watching Deanna Durbin movies, Iris is sneaking out of the house, double crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till all hours of the night. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private eye business.

CONTEST DETAILS:
- Fill Out the form below
- Open Internationally
- Deadline 12/30/11

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It's Official! Alyssa's Book Coming Soon!

2011-12-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, so we haven't made any preparatory statements and we'll explain more later but...

The bottom line is we've been very busy due to something exciting.

Alyssa's book. Yeah. It's coming. Jan 7!

Here's the cover!

The summary/blurb...

For seventeen-year-old Aurora Lahey, survival is a lifestyle.

DEMONIC DESTINY
Aurora has the crappiest superpower on the planet. And it’s just unleashed a hit squad from hell. Demons are on the hunt, salivating to carve her carcass into confetti.
CHARISMATIC KILLERS
The Hex Boys—mysterious, hunky, and notorious for their trails of destruction—have the answers Aurora needs to survive. But their overload of deadly secrets and suspicious motives makes trusting them a potentially fatal move.

LETHAL ALLIES
The battle to save her family, herself, and stop demonic domination may cost Aurora everything worth living for, and force her to reveal her own dark secrets. But no worries. She needs the Hex Boys to pull this off, and, chances are, teaming up with these guys will get her killed anyway.

We even have a trailer!

It will be available in paperback and ebook 1/7/12 but we've got to have some contests coming soon!

DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT is now on Goodreads so be sure to check it out!

Alyssa's the "A" in A&E, and we've got more coming on the "E" side of things. You can get info now if you like by checking out the newly revamped site of AEKIRK.COM

Yes, we know we should have said something sooner but Alyssa's ~~annoying~~ perfectionist persona had to wait until everything was ready to go.

We'll talk more later (we're heading out to see Sherlock Holmes) and in the meantime...

We'd love to hear what you think of everything!

Teen Fiction Review: THE GIRL IS MURDER by Kathryn Miller Haines

2011-12-15T02:05:00.000-08:00

THE GIRL IS MURDER

by Kathryn Miller Haines

July 2011

Iris Anderson is only 15, but she's quickly mastering the art of deception in this YA novel for fans of Veronica Mars. It's the Fall of 1942 and Iris's world is rapidly changing. Her Pop is back from the war with a missing leg, limiting his ability to do the physically grueling part of his detective work. Iris is dying to help, especially when she discovers that one of Pop's cases involves a boy at her school. Now, instead of sitting at home watching Deanna Durbin movies, Iris is sneaking out of the house, double crossing her friends, and dancing at the Savoy till all hours of the night. There's certainly never a dull moment in the private eye business.

Thanks to Teen Book Scene Scene for hosting the tour for The Girl is Murder. Check out the complete tour HERE.

A bit of noir is a refreshing change. The world of the 1940's was engaging, with Iris, our spunky teen trying to fit in at a new school and solve a who-dun-it. She's just moved from the expensive section of town to New York's lower socio-economic spectrum.

The time-frame is different, but many will be able to relate to Iris. She doesn't always make the best choices, but her heart is in the right place, which counts for something. And her flaws make her human.

Iris lies and manipulates. Not a smart decision but her actions are geared toward helping others and finding out what happened to the missing boy who happens to be from her new school. She's helping her down-on-his-luck detective father find out the truth behind his disappearance. Time to get sleuthing!

The writing was well done and the plot flowed smoothly. We are allowed to watch Iris make her mistakes and, thankfully, learn from them which provides character development.

The reveal of the mystery in the end while making sense, was a bit of a let down. After all the build-up, it didn't quite live up to the drama, but it was realistic.

The historical aspects of THE GIRL IS MURDER are unique. I haven't read much in this time period. I liked the slang and seeing life in the 40s. The overall flavor of that decade was pleasantly different, and the plot kept a steady pace.

THIS GIRL IS MURDER is a fun, quick read. The characters and the journey to uncover the mystery are engaging. I think historical lovers will find it a treat. It captured the feeling of the era and gave an original perspective in the YA mystery genre.